Too many supplement? page

[ez2cy]

Is it possible to take too many supplements?

I'm taking a multi vitamin (liquid) Joint (liquid) then, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Vit D drops, Choline, Vitamin C, Fish oil and am actually looking at Black seed oil as I've heard great things about it.

Now I'll get the "what are you taking them for?" Which is fair. I'm not really sure myself. I'm 54 and have problems with bones and joints, hence the Joint stuff, Cal/Mag. Choline for memory, and the rest I "think" is just the right thing to do. ??????

Look forward to your thoughts.

[Neckhammer]

Yes its possible to take too many. Its possible to get an imbalance particularly. I'm not saying you have to quit or that your causing damage necessarily. I just believe that a more targeted form of supplementation to address your situation works best....and always use as close to whole food supplements as possible. There is a very wide range in supplements quality and bioavailability.

Many people just fall into the trap of hearing things about the new wonder supplement or wonder drug even (and yes that can be interchangeable) and just run out to get it. No, more is not better.

Mark did a post on whole food supplements: 14 Important Nutrient-Dense Supplemental Foods | Mark's Daily Apple

I've been taking fermented cod liver oil/high vitamin butter oil blend this winter (only supplement) instead of the isolated vitamin D specifically for the presence of cofactors (A,D,K and a stable form of O3's work togeather...along with the uncategorized elements yet to be discovered). Its as close to a whole food as I can figure on and still call a supplement. Heres what it is: Butter/Cod Liver Blend - Green Pasture

Probably doesn't directly answer your question, but maybe at least a bit of info for you on my perspective anyhow.

[Chaohinon]

There's no need to buy a thousand supplements if you get a good multivitamin that covers all your bases, as I've learned the hard way.

Opti-men/Opti-women is a great one, with adequate amounts of b-vitamins, calcium, magnesium, iodine, choline, and amino acids

Orange Triad is another one to look into

[Finnegans Wake]

There's a wide variety of opinions on whether supplements are necessary and their efficacy, but in general supplements are inferior to whole food sources of nutrients. Whole foods offer a complex interplay of substances that supplements generally do not; e.g., if you are suffering from bone and joint issues, making quality bone broth (using joint bones especially) will offer dozens of compounds, not merely glucosamine and condroitin.

I also question the quality of many, if not most, fish oils: eating fish is clearly more beneficial, and they need not be terribly expensive (sardines, anchovies, mackerel, herring).

That said, there is a case to be made that much produce (especially from industrial producers) is being done on nutrient-depleted soil, which IMO suggests one might investigate supplementing magnesium and possibly selenium. D3 is going to be dependent on sunlight exposure, so that may be worth supplementing in winter at the very least. And vitamin K has a synergistic effect with calcium and D3, ensuring that calcium goes to bones and not into arteries, for instance.

Spring through fall, when sunlight is more plentiful and produce can be gotten from locally-sourced farms that use sustainable methods, presumably with better overall nutrient content, I worry less about supplementing. In winter, I do supplement and consider D3, K2, and magnesium the most important of these. I don't think there is really any negatives associated with suppementing C any time of year, with the caveat that too much may have GI issues.

I also like to eat shiitake, maitake, oyster, and other mushrooms as a) good eats and b) a tonic for the system, but the science of medicinal mushrooms is more suggestive than conclusive. Still, sometimes I'll find good pricing on a multiple mushroom supplement, especially when I feel my body is stressed.

[Finnegans Wake]

I've been taking fermented cod liver oil/high vitamin butter oil blend this winter (only supplement) instead of the isolated vitamin D specifically for the presence of cofactors (A,D,K and a stable form of O3's work togeather...along with the uncategorized elements yet to be discovered). Its as close to a whole food as I can figure on and still call a supplement. Heres what it is: Butter/Cod Liver Blend - Green Pasture

I'm curious to know if you feel this has been beneficial, and worth the cost.

[meeshar]

It depends, some vitamins are water soluble and any excess leaves the body as urine (such as the bright yellow pee after taking a B vitamin). I have read that intrinsic factor (produced by the stomach and needed to absorb nutrients) decreases with age, so IMHO supplements make sense as one gets older.

[Damiana]

Why potassium? Why C? If you're eating as you should, these supplements are fairly useless.

[Timthetaco]

Why potassium? Why C? If you're eating as you should, these supplements are fairly useless.

Agreed. It's pretty impossible to suffer vitamin C deficiency, and I wouldn't recommend supplementing potassium unless you're very careful or working with a doctor.

[Neckhammer]

I'm curious to know if you feel this has been beneficial, and worth the cost.

Honestly probably not worth the cost if it was just for me as I eat liver and grass fed dairy and fish and such. But my kids don't eat liver, won't eat fish, and for some reason don't even like cheese...... So I think its a good choice for them. I take a teaspoon about 3x/week, but I give each kid a half a teaspoon a day. The more I read up on vitamin D and these other vitamins (A and K primarily) they just all work together so synergistic that I decided not to do D alone this winter. I like the fermented CLO cause it makes the O3 a bit more stable too.

So for my kids, yes I think its worth the price. For me....kinda. But perhaps just for the winter.

[Rojo]

Like most things Primal, I think you should approach supplements with an ancestral eye. IOW, making up for something that is now missing in our environment. Vitamin D is a good one because we just can't spend as much time outdoors as our ancestors. Magnesium might make sense because of the dearth of it in our water and soil. Omega 3 because of all the Omega 6 in CAFO meat.

And the, of course, you should still see if you can get the nutrients through food.

I take D, a B multi, fish oil, Gaba for mood and sometimes magnesium in the evening for sleep. I'm going to replace the fish oil pill with cod liver. It's closer to food, adds some D and A. I may re-think the multi-B as I eat plenty of B.